Back again! Sorry for the delay but Christmas took over this time, I also went to see The Legend of the Fritton Gold yesterday. I've got to say I like the original better; the new version just seemed to be a little too…tame? Anyway, thanks to everyone who keeps reviewing and favouriting it's still much appreciated!
"Well…I… was going to talk… to you about that" Annabelle stammered nervously causing Kelly to raise a perfectly groomed eyebrow, making her feel like she was trapped on the stairs on her first day all over again.
"I want to help of course it isn't anything like that and I'm not going to squeal or anything, it's just…the whole going up…the ladder…thing"
Kelly rolled her eyes with such aggression her head practically rolled with them. She grabbed Annabelle's arm dragging her along behind her, muttering darkly to herself
"For God's sake! I present perfectly good plans and all of a sudden everyone conveniently becomes afraid of heights! Well I can't get it down myself so you're just going to have to snap out of it!"
As Kelly marched her towards their destination, Annabelle noticed that Jemima now had her back turned to the bonfire and seemed conflicted on whether she prevented her husband causing any more dents to her reputation with the advancing posh totty or attempting to calm down a few or the rampaging first and second years (some of which had now appeared to have staged a coup on one of the fast food stalls and were now serving hot dogs themselves). Turning her attention back to the bonfire, and the huge ladder that was propped against it Annabelle fought back a bought of hysteria that was building up inside her. To her surprise Kelly grabbed the ladder and climbed up the first few rungs.
"I'm steadying the ladder?" she blurted out hopefully
"I told you I can't get it on my own; we won't even be up there that long. Now come on" Kelly hissed from over her shoulder and started back up the ladder. Annabelle exhaled a shaky breath and reluctantly followed her up the unstable looking rungs.
"Just don't look down, don't look down, don't look down" Annabelle muttered to herself as she stumbled up the ladder behind Kelly before they came to a stop near the top. Her knuckles were pure white as Kelly shook the ladder while she dragged the Guy down from his lofty position at the top of the bonfire.
"Oi, grab hold of this" Kelly whispered, thrusting the legs toward Annabelle, who took a deep breath wrenched one hand away from the ladder to grab them and shakily started to climb back down.
"Hurry up, we haven't got that long!" she heard Kelly urge from above her
"I am going as fast as I can, next time, don't bring the person terrified of heights!" she shot back between clenched teeth.
When she finally reached solid ground, Annabelle raised her eyes and mouthed a silent prayer of thanks to whoever may be listening, while still holding onto the ladder with one hand in case her still trembling legs gave out under her. She saw Kelly shake her head in disbelief and started to tug the Guy, pulling Annabelle along at a slow jog in the direction she had seen the Geeks standing not long before but now seemed to have disappeared.
"Come on, we're running out of time"
Annabelle eyes fell to Kelly's killer heels which she seemed to be able to jog in as effortlessly as she did strolling through the school between classes
"How are you even running in those shoes anyway?" she blurted out
"You just put one foot in front of the other in quick succession, it's really quite easy Annabelle" she replied back in her usual deadpan tone. Unfortunately this was the point Annabelle stumbled over a hidden pot hole, although thankfully managing to stay upright.
"Easier for some than others though I suppose"
Annabelle struggled to hold back the blush that was threatening to turn her whole face crimson, facing the floor she wished that she could finally shake off the old uptight, nervous Cheltenham Ladies Annabelle and fully embrace her new personality, but old Annabelle seemed to reappear occasionally and make an idiot of herself at the worst possible moment.
"How are we doing girls?" Kelly called to the group of geeks huddled outside the ladies clothing boutique, a few clutching a couple of items that they had just 'liberated'. Polly stood at the front in the open doorway, pushing buttons on a small electronic device that was connected to the shop alarm. The alarm system bleeped a few times and the girls shuffled out of the door, one of the younger geeks running forward and started to fiddle with the lock until they heard it click on
"All done, how much time do we have?" Polly questioned in her usual brisk manner
"That's all down to Taylor but not long" Kelly replied, handing over the guy to a couple of bespectacled fifth years "Where are the twins?"
"Here Kel" They called in their usual creepy unison, pushing past from behind the geeks, brandishing a couple of huge rockets
"Fantastic" Kelly grinned with unabashed glee as the twins proudly presented here with their stolen goods, she turned back to Polly, who was helping to strip the Guy of his current costume
"You've got the calculations?"
"Alice and Maisie are on them now" she confirmed, nodding towards two girls scribbling frantically in their notebooks
"Come on" Kelly said grabbing Annabelle's arm and breaking into another jog across the village green, through crowds of rioting emos who had somehow managed to take over the ancient PA system and was blaring rock music through it
They just made it to the small unlit smoking area outside the pub when a horrified scream split across the music and chaos in the village.
